BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY CONNECTS LOCAL TEENS WITH BEST-SELLING AUTHORS

April 20, 2006

With free books and visits from today's bestselling young adult authors, Brooklyn Public Library's Teen Edge keeps teens fascinated by literature throughout the summer!

As part of the Teen Edge initiative at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), the library is hosting a series of author programs in which local teens will receive free books three weeks in advance of meeting the authors who wrote them. Following each author talk, teens will have the opportunity to participate in a group discussion about the book and get their book signed. Authors participating in Teen Edge’s author discussion series include James Mcbride, Nathan McCall and Nikki Giovanni.

Known for providing Brooklyn's diverse communities with youth lifestyle experts and events that actively engage teens, BPL's Teen Edge team aims to reach teens in their places, on their terms. "We selected these authors and their engaging books by bringing local teens into the planning process and learning what they want. Brooklyn Public Library is here for them and it's important that we serve their interests," said Ralph Poinvil, Teen Edge Coordinator of BPL.

BPL's Teen Edge initiative reaches Brooklyn's teens through a combination of in- and out-of-school educational and cultural events. Fun, exciting and engaging, BPL's Teen Edge programs give young Brooklynites a chance to interact with librarian and peer mentors and to learn about library services when they're most comfortable.

"At Brooklyn Public Library, we recognize teens' potential to become community leaders," said Sheila Schofer, Coordinator of Young Adult Services of BPL. "We encourage all teens to visit Brooklyn Public Library – to learn what we have to offer and to share their views so we can better serve their interests. Their excellent ideas keep BPL's Teen Edge programs fresh and help us plan programs to keep them engaged during their out-of-school hours."

BPL's Teen Edge programs also provide opportunities for teens to learn leadership skills and plan activities for other teenage library users. Previous Teen Edge programs have included the popular Youth Leadership Workshop designed to build confidence and a sense of empowerment among teens. Created to prepare today's teens to be future leaders, this inspirational seminar covered several topics, including public speaking, setting goals, time management and leadership skills. Teen Edge’s series of hip-hop and jazz dance classes hosted by MTV personality and choreographer Jason Williams was another crowd-pleaser. In addition to the forthcoming author series, Teen Edge plans to offer computer web design classes and filmmaking workshops throughout the spring and summer.

Contact

Brooklyn Public Library is an independent New York City library system serving the borough of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest in the United States. Its Central Library, Business Library, and 58 neighborhood libraries offer free information, programs and computer access to people of all ages. You can reach the Library's resources of over 70 reference databases, catalog information and news 24 hours a day at www.bklynlibrary.org